Tomato soup 'boosts fertility'

Tomato soup 'boosts fertility'
28 Jul 2007, 2039 hrs IST,PTI
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Tomato_soup_boosts_fertility/articleshow/2241090.cms

LONDON: Craving for something sweet and sour at the same time? Don't think twice. Just have a bowl of spicy and creamy tomato soup to satisfy your desire.

Yes, a bowl of hot tomato soup every day can boost fertility among men, according to scientists. Researchers at the UK-based University of Portsmouth have discovered that lycopene, which gives tomatoes their bright red colouring, can turn sperm into super-sperm, sources reported. The conclusion came after the researchers studied the effect of lycopene in the diet on a group of six healthy men, all in their early forties.

They were asked to consume tomato soup every day for two weeks. During these two weeks, scientists claimed that levels of lycopene in the men's semen rose between seven and 12 per cent, which was "significant". The researchers have plans to carry out further studies to discover whether the same boost would be seen in infertile men who generally have lower levels of lycopene in their sperm, the daily quoted a report from the British Journal of Urology.

Though it is not yet known what part lycopene actually plays in fertility, the study suggests that higher levels of the antioxidant may pop up harmful free radicals in the body which increases fertility. Tomato products have beneficial health properties because of the presence of lycopene, but this is the first time they have been shown to boost fertility among men. Other fruits and vegetables that are high in lycopene include watermelon, grapefruit, guava and papaya.